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Monday, February 10, 2014

Thorner & O'Neil: A Response to Elites Who Have Lost Our Respect

By Nancy Thorner and Bonnie O'Neil -

Oh how sad it is when we realize even some of our favorite politicians are deceptive, even those at the highest level of government. Even worse, some of the offenders are those we considered to be on our side of political thought; yet they too made promises to us they did not keep. Recently, problems have been uncovered serious enough to make front page news, and be subjected to congressional hearings. One can only wonder how many more remain hidden from the public.

Some examples of disturbing problems have been exposed at the federal level. Particularly disturbing was the discovery that our government has been spying on us: American citizens. Equally damaging and even embarrassing is that the Obama administration was caught spying on leaders of 35 countries, including those who are considered our friends. The most notable example is that of German Chancellor Markel. She was seriously offended to discover America had tapped into her private cell phone, and she was not alone. Only time will tell how damaging that eavesdropping will be to American interests in the future. Trust is fragile, and once broken, is not quickly mended.

It should concern all of us that there have been an unprecedented number of scandals surrounding the Obama presidency. Some have estimated the total number as high as twenty four, others claim it even higher. Most of us are fairly acquainted with the more publicized and ongoing political scandals, such as “Fast and Furious”, “Benghazi”, “I.R.S. Profiling”, “Snowgate”, and “Spying on the Media”. Consider this, if these are ones that have been discovered, how many more have not?

This administration continually refuses to accept any culpability, even when facts indicate they are indeed guilty as charged. Denial has been followed by actual proof of guilt, and that has severely damaged our trust in politicians. Once lost, trust is not easily regained, especially when deceptions are contrived at the highest level of government. The public questions whether there are any honest politicians left in D.C. today. It is becoming especially difficult to believe even our president, after he recently claimed there has not been “even a smidgeon of corruption” within his administration.

However, Republican leaders are not blameless either.

Democrats are in power right now, which obviously makes their deceptions more noticeable. But Republicans have had integrity problems as well. A recent example come via the courtesy of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. Huckabee told his Fox News audience in December of last year that he no longer supported the Common Core standards. It seems Huckabee had approved Common Core while campaigning as a Republican presidential hopeful in 2008. His faithful viewers were alarmed by that, and for a while he defended his opinion.

But after the Common Core controversy became a national issue and most of his audience strongly disagreed with his opinion, he reversed his response by explaining Common Core had changed in the years since he was Governor and had morphed into something he no longer could support. Nevertheless, at the recent meeting of Council of Chief State School Officers, one of the organizations that created the Common Core State Standards, Huckabee’s message changed once more. This time, it was reported that Huckabee told CCSSO members: "Rebrand it, refocus it, but don't retreat."

Huckabee is not the only Republican to break with Conservative Republicans on important issues, but what makes Huckabee's deception more troubling is that he promotes himself as a conservative with conservative values, but was willing to waffle when addressing a group with opposing opinions.

We can respect a politician who disagrees with us on a given issue, especially if their position is reasonable. But deceptions from officials based on self-serving reasons is intolerable.

The mounting scandals seem to have overwhelmed citizens, coming at such a rapid rate; many do not know which issue to address; which one is the most damaging to America’s future. The question is "have we lost the will to demand that scandals like Benghazi, IRS, NSA, Fast and Furious, spying on Americans, voter fraud, and so many others be thoroughly investigated??" Are you willing to let the scandals just fade away without any consequences to the perpetrators who lied, deceived, and/or who were part of a cover-up? If so, we can promise that such a lack of vocal concern will invite more bold attempts by government to act illegally.

Never before in our history have citizens had a better opportunity to unite their voices, thanks to the social media, emailing, and organizations that support our political beliefs. Why then are citizens not making a significant effort to stop this continual abuse of trust? Where is the nation’s outrage?

If we are to keep America as the country we have known and loved, we must not count on anybody but ourselves to stop this growing trend of a federal government that overreaches their authority, engages in lies, and perpetrates cover-ups when caught. Patriots must be willing to sacrifice some time, unite together, and speak out in one accord against corruption wherever we find it. Only then will our message have a strong enough impact to be heard and thus force an appropriate change in the “elites” who control our lives. Let us all return to the principles and values that allowed our Country to prosper. We owe that to future generations.

Comments

Thorner & O'Neil: A Response to Elites Who Have Lost Our Respect

By Nancy Thorner and Bonnie O'Neil -

Oh how sad it is when we realize even some of our favorite politicians are deceptive, even those at the highest level of government. Even worse, some of the offenders are those we considered to be on our side of political thought; yet they too made promises to us they did not keep. Recently, problems have been uncovered serious enough to make front page news, and be subjected to congressional hearings. One can only wonder how many more remain hidden from the public.

Some examples of disturbing problems have been exposed at the federal level. Particularly disturbing was the discovery that our government has been spying on us: American citizens. Equally damaging and even embarrassing is that the Obama administration was caught spying on leaders of 35 countries, including those who are considered our friends. The most notable example is that of German Chancellor Markel. She was seriously offended to discover America had tapped into her private cell phone, and she was not alone. Only time will tell how damaging that eavesdropping will be to American interests in the future. Trust is fragile, and once broken, is not quickly mended.